Barcelona, without a doubt, is one such place that is ideal for your family holiday. The beautiful city is full of family-friendly venues. Once you arrive, you can do lots with your family. From the popular Casa Batllo and Sagrada Familia to family tours, galleries, and amusement parks, the city offers pretty much everything.
The dynamic city is often on the radar of many tourists because of its friendly people, fun-filled activities, and interesting places. If you don’t want to miss out on the best spots to visit in Barcelona with kids, reading this article is worth your time.
Outdoor Activities for Kids in Barcelona
1. Sagrada Familia
There is no better place to begin your Barcelona trip. Sagrada Familia is undeniably one of the most iconic attractions in the entire city. And your kids will love spending time there, especially if you visit the place at sunset. Your children can explore and enjoy an audio guide while admiring the stunning architecture of the place. The interior of Sagrada is a masterpiece your kids will preserve in their memories forever.
2. Illa Fantasia
If it is a summer travel trip, why not make it more fun by visiting the Illa Fantasia water park in Barcelona. The fun water park has three macro swimming pools and twenty -two other attractions. A trip to the Illa Fantasia Park guarantees that your kids will have a fun time.
3. Magic Fountain Show
The show is not only fun and accessible to everyone, but it is one of the most-visited places that tourists and locals love visiting with kids. Just the name “Magic Fountain” is enough to get your kids excited. It is a unique show of lights, water, and music, giving your children an out-of-this-world experience. You can watch this evening fountain dancing show every morning at Placa d’Espanya.
4. Bosc Urba
It is an adventure playground near Bosc Urbà (Urban Jungle), offering a unique mélange of sports, activities, and adventures for the entire family. If you have kids aged between 11 to 15 years old, Bosc Urba is undoubtedly going to give them the most adventurous experience of their lives.
It has rope swings, bungee jumping, log rolls, zip lines, and much more. Your kids will find it hard to decide which one they should try first. Try out all 50-plus attractions if you can (sounds difficult). They offer rides according to different levels for children and adults.
5. Zoo de Barcelona
No family holiday is complete without visiting the city zoo, especially if your kids are accompanying you. The decently sized zoo in Barcelona has plenty of animals that look happy in reasonably-sized cages and comfortable climate of the city. So if you have some animal lovers in the family, they would love to see prehistoric-looking rhino, elephants, giant hippos, giraffes, tigers, and sea lions.
It does not end here; the zoo has some fantastic child-friendly features, including pony rides, picnic areas farmyard zoo, and two wonderful playgrounds.
6. Tibidabo Amusement Park
Do you want to show your kids a spectacular monastery at the top of a mountain with stunning views of the magical city? Head to Tibidabo amusement park in Barcelona to experience a panoramic view of the city!
If that doesn’t sound like fun to your kids, there is an amusement park as well. The retro park is a unique combination of modern and old fun rides. You simply can’t leave the park without taking a spin on the giant Ferris wheel. Don’t let your kids miss out on the first flight simulator of the world and unique street theatre to watch kid-friendly shows.
Kid-friendly Museums and Galleries in Barcelona
1. Cosmocaixia
Your kids are bound to have a great time at this science museum. With an exhibition of numerous fun things to engage your kids, Cosmocaixia is the most loved place for kids in Barcelona. Your kids can explore what the Amazon rain forest looks like. They can see waterlogged turtles, and fish through the windows. There is an educational tunnel under the trees that ends in the humid habitat, with some native birds flying around to give it a touch of authenticity.
2. Museu Blau
The Museu Blau or ‘Blue Museum’ began in 2011 in the Natural Science Museum. The 9,000 square-meter museum comprises two floors. At the entrance, a whale skeleton (found on Catalan shores in 1862) welcomes you. The museum has amazing spaces and installations, including ‘Planet Life,’ which is an exhibition allowing your kids to learn about the history of life.
3. Chocolate Museum
Kids and chocolate make a unique combination. The chocolate museum is one-of-a-kind and offers children an insight into the delicious world of chocolate. Your kids can learn everything, including their origin, cool sculptures, and a modified taste of the sweet delicacy around the world.
4. Maritime Museum
Visit this old medieval building yard with your kids to see intriguing models of ancient ships, peculiar versions of landscapes, maps, and morbid descriptions of sea life. There are large screens at the Maritime museum to keep your little ones occupied while giving them something to learn.
On a Rainy Day: Indoor Fun
1. The Aquarium
If sea life is what fascinates your kids the most, visiting Barcelona’s aquarium is a great idea. Let your little ones discover the spectacular 250-foot underwater tunnel, designed with 35 tanks. The ocean tanks hold massive sharks, penguins, rays, and large fish.
2. Casa Battlo
Do you want to make your trip to Barcelona unforgettable for your kids? Take them for a dramatized theatrical tour at Casa Battlo. Either the family’s housekeeper or Lady Ramoneta herself will show your kids the crannies and nooks of the house while telling them some unforgettable anecdotes about the family.
3. Casa Anita
It is a place for both teens and kids. Your little scholars can spend hours exploring the marvels between the pages of the books. There is a wide selection of well-loved stories, poetry, art, music, and fiction in Casa Anita. They can scour through a bunch of enormous wine boxes with separate fiction and non-fiction books.
4. Trampoline Park
This amazing indoor jumping club is the apple of the eye of Barcelona. Trampoline Park, with its 12, 00 m² space, is an innovative arena with jumping and interactive technology. Your little ones can enjoy airbags, Olympic trampolines, battle bars, jumping smash, and interactive wall.
Snack time: Kids-friendly Restaurants & Food Stops in Barcelona
1. Aguaribay
If you are looking for a vegetarian restaurant featuring a menu with tasty, imaginative, and fun dishes, Aguaribay is the best choice. Your kids will get everything there: from home-made stuffed pasta and burritos to Argentinean pies and fajitas.
2. La Luna
The restaurant is an excellent combination of beautiful bars, coffee houses, and dining places. The comfortable place has a large selection of delicious tapas. If your kids are picky eaters, La luna has an interesting menu to satiate their taste and appetite.
3. La Vietnamita
If you are looking for something different to eat but your little one showing tantrums demanding soupy noodles, La Vietnamita is your place. Savor the yummy yucca fries with edamame to ease cravings while your kids enjoy a big bowl of spicy noodles.
4. Toto
Dress your kids in a casual outfit and head for a fantastic dinner at Toto. The menu here is not just elegant but also creative. Don’t fear what your kids will eat as they have a wide range of pizza and beverages.
5. Pudding
Are you ready for dinner with fun? Stop by Pudding for a unique experience. Designed on the theme of Alice and Wonderland, the mushroom size sittings bring a fictional world to life. There are many games and books for kids to enjoy, along with an amazing menu.
What Locals Recommend: Special Tips from Our Friends in Barcelona
Local #1: Ann-Marie from Runner Bean Tours
Barcelona is a paradise for a family vacation. We have the beach, the mountains, the food, the culture… You can easily spend a few days discovering the city and the little ones will probably ask you for more.
For people traveling in Barcelona with kids, there are two things that I always recommend doing, apart from the obvious places.
One very special place for me is La Casa dels Entremesos. This is where a lot of the giants of the city are kept, larger than life papier-mache figures that are used during the festivals in the area. The person in charge is a lovely man and, if you ask nicely, he will let the kids try one of the big-heads on. It doesn’t have a cover charge but I strongly recommend leaving something in the donation box to support this project.
Local #2: Duncan from Barcelona Life
A great way to commemorate both your visit to Barcelona and the growing graces of your family is with a professional photoshoot.
One of the friendliest and first companies to offer this service was Shutter Kings Barcelona, which offers a two-hour shoot from as little as €220 (for a family of three). Their guides typically propose beautiful, child-friendly locations like Arc de Triomf and Parc de la Ciutadella, and you should return home with some stunning family portraits – the perfect souvenir from Catalonia!
My second favorite tip is the visit to Poble Espanyol, a replica village built for the 1929 Universal Fair as a showcase for Iberian architecture. Aside from the chance to see signature architectural styles from each corner of Spain, many of the 117 buildings double as art museums, artisan workshops, Spanish restaurants, flamenco tablaos, and much more. The FIESTA: Soul of Spain audiovisual show is a highlight sure to impress kids of all ages (as well as adults), and the Sculpture Garden and giants tend to be popular with young ones. This is a great attraction to combine with a visit to the Magic Fountain (which is free), and possibly some of the other famous attractions on Montjuic hill.
Local #3: Gloria from Rome Private Guides
Visiting Gaudi highlights with your family is a must-do in Barcelona.
Don’t miss a stop in Park Guell, the charming open-air masterpiece by Antoni Gaudi, where you can both admire a stunning panorama of the city and play with your kids and guess all the colorful animals belonging to his imaginary world. In Barcelona, the old and the modern part of the town mix with each other, creating the perfect match between the breathless Gothic district and glowing lights architecture.
Take a break from tours and taste the savory local specialty: tapas! You can find them easily in almost every district in town and they are a wonderful way to relax between one place and the other. There so many, with different ingredients and aromas that you will find for sure one that suits your taste.
Local #4: Masiel from Tour in Barcelona
Barcelona is a city that has a place for everyone, which means also for kids.
Some of the main attractions such as Casa Batlló they have an app that makes the visit more fun, mostly for the little ones. But the center of this recommendation are places that are mainly designed for the kids, like the aquarium or the zoo, and others with elements closer to science and nature like Cosmo Caixa.
Traveling with your kids elsewhere? These guides might come handy:
35 Things to do with Kids in London
30 Best Thinds to do with Kids in Prague (Approved by Locals)
Best Things to Do with Kids in Rome